Protective seal.



T- S. WOOD.

PROTECTIVE SEAL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a, 1905.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

g CERTIFIE.D 19u5 T. S. WOOD.

PROTECTIVE SEAL.

APPLICATION IILED MAY13, 1905.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

3 8HEETS-SHEET 2.

1 inn-um:

T. S. WOOD.

PROTECTIVE SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY13, 1905.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

anr at ic.

TINGLEY S. WOOD, OF LEADVILLE, COLORADO.

PROTECTIVE SEAL.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, TINGLEY S. W001), a citizen of the United States,residing at Leadville, in the county of Lake and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Protective Seals; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in protective seals, and my objectis to provide a device of this class which shall possess certaincharacteristics which are considered highly desirable if not absolutelyessential to a device of this character. These characteristics areabsolute security; strength to resist ordinary strain; ease ofapplication,

that is to say without the use of an implement; economy in cost;simplicity of construction; and ease of legitimate removal.

My construction is also such that each seal may possess a distinctivenumber, mark or other characteristic to distinguish it from other sealsof the same construction, or in other words giving it individuality.

The frangibility of the material employed in the manufacture ofmy'invention is one of the essential elements to which its eiiiciency isdue, whereby the material will not stand repeated bendings upon the sameline without complete rupture; There are many pliable or yielding metalsand metallic combinations which when in the form of sheets or plates,cannot be bent or folded back closely upon themselves, straightened outto their original plane, and again bent upon the same line withoutrupturing at the line of bend. It is this quality which has beenutilized in the device covered'by this 'application. 5

To induce bending upon predetermined lines and to enable the fingers ofthe user alone without the aid of an implement, to make such bends withease as well as to insure that any after bends shall occur at the sameplaces, the predetermined lines may be weakened by punctures, cuts,scorings or otherwise to produce these results and also to insureasymmetrical form for the seal when closed.

Having briefly outlined my improved Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13, 1905.

Patented (Pet. 18, 1910. Serial No. 260,340.

construction as well as the function it is intended to perform, I willproceed to describe the same in detail reference being made to theaccompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 illustrates my improved device in use with ashackle. Fig. 2 shows the prepared seal in detail and before use. Fig. 3shows the seal after the sealing tongue is bent on one of the diagonalperforated lines, the shackle or securing band to which it is appliedbeing shown in section and broken away on opposite sides of the seal.Fig. 4: shows the device applied to a coin sack or bag. Fig. 5 shows theseal employed in Fig. 4, before its use. This is a slightly diiferentform of construction from that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

10 is a detail view of the same form of seal as it appears before using.Fig. 11 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 11 in Fig. 8. Fig.12 illustrates another formof my improved seal, shown in connection wltha pin passing through a staple for holding a locking hasp in place. Fig.13 is a detail view before use of the seal-shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 isa detail view of the pin shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 15 illustrates anotherform of my improved seal shown in use. Fig. 16 is a detail view of theform of seal shown in Fig.' 15 viewed'from the side opposite that seeninthe last figure. Fig. 17 is a detail view of the seal shown in Figs.

15 and 16 showing its form before bending into the shape shown in saidfigures. Fig. 18 shows another form of my. improved seal after passingit through the shackle or securing device but before bending it to thelocked position. Fig. 19 shows the seal in full lines after one bend ofthe tongue has been made and in dotted lines after two bends have beenmade to form the complete seal. Fig. 20 shows the position of the tongueafter an additional bend or twist of the tongue whereby the folded partof the tongue occupies a position at right angles to that shown in Fig.19. Figs. 21 and 22 show another form of my improved seal. Fig. 23shows, the seal integral with the securing device or shackle and beforeuse.

. Fig. 24 is a front view of the same form of device with the tonguemembers bent to form the protective seal. Fig. 25 is a rear view or aview the reverse of that shown in Fig.

same device in use.

rest of the shackle being broken away. Fig.

29 illustrates my improved sealing tongue shown in connection with the-form of shackle disclosed in Fig. 28, the seal being corrugated afterbending it to the sealing,

position.

It may be stated that in Figs. 23 to 27, thedevice' is broken awayexcept the extremities to be connected. In the said views it must beconsidered that the parts shownare the extremities of an integral devicesimilar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that in the Figs. 23 to 27 thesealingdeviceis apart of the shackle rather than distinct therefrom asin the'other views. It is evident that any form of thesealing tonguewhen used with a band shackle may be integral therewith.

The .same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.7 Referring first to Figs. 1 to3 inclusive, let the numeral 5 designatemy improved seal considered in its entlrety, A is the body ofthe seal; Athe sealing tongue; A and A diagonal" perforated lines; A and A,recesses formed in the body of the seal; and

A, A", A and A recesses formed in the sealing tongue. The tongue is cutaway at the base on one side as shown at A and correspondinglyreinforced on the op osite side as shown at A. This reinforced part ofthe tongue is also provided with a lip A projecting beyond thereinforced part. 1 In Fi ,1 this seal is shown connecting the slotteextremities of a shackle or securing device .6. This securing device maybe usedin connection with any apparatus, where inorder 1 tb open theprotected package, receptacle or door, it is necessary to separate thefastening elements or break some part-of the same.

The manner of applying the seal to the shackle will be readilyunderstood. The shackle extremities are overlapped to'cause their slotsto register. The sealing ton ue A is then passed through the slots whichby the way are a proximately of the same length as the widt of thesealing tongue A. TlllS tongue is passed through the registering slotsuntil the lateral recess A is reached when the shackle ismoved-laterally until'the edge of the tongue adjacent the opening Aengages one end of the slots. In this event the reinforced part Atogether with the lip A of the tongue, are allowed to pass throughtheslots of the shackle forming a the tongue is comparatively close fit. Ininserting the tongue, it will be understood that the shackle in order toallow its overlapped extremities to enter the lateral recess or openingA, must be tilted slightly since the reinforced part A cannot enter theslot until after the shackle has entered the opening A and been movedlaterally as just explained. After this is done the lip A may be bentninety degrees or so that it shall be flat upon one of the overlappedextremities of the shackle and across. one side of the slots thereof.This prevents the reinforced part A of the tongue from passing out ofthe shackle slots and holds the seal up from the shackle. The sealingtongue is then firstbent rearwardly on the diagonal line A the bent partmoving one hundred eighty degrees or so that it shall occupy a positionparallel and in contact with the unbent part of the base of the tongue.as shown in Fig. 3. The tongue is next bent on the diagonal line A whenthe seal is as shown in Fig. 1 or in its protecting form. The object ofthe recesses A", A, A", A, A and A, is topermit the inspection of theshackle at the extremities of the slots on both sides in order that itmay be determined that the slot has not been elongatedor enlarged. Thesealing tongue isfurther provided with an opening A which is closedin'the rear when the seal is in the protecting form. This is anadditionalsecurity, since when the package is inspected, if this openingis not closed it will be known that the seal has been tampered with. v

It will be noticed that in the form of seal just described, the bendinglines of the sealing tongue extend diagonally to the length of the slotsof the shackle through which assed. The reason of this is that the lineo such a bend is longer than the slot or opening through which thetongue entered. There-is also a further reason for this'diagonal bendingline since the part or a tongue folded on a diagonal line flat againstthe bodyof the tongue, must. be. moved through an arc of one hundredeighty degrees (or to its originalplane) before it.

ing them to t eir closed or sealing position,

without completely rupturing the parts along the weakened or perforatedbending it is not absolutely essential to 'weaken the bending linessince material may be employed which will answer every requisite inadevice of this character without weaklines. It must, however, beunderstood that that after the tongue is folded as shown .in, Fig. 1, ithas parts projecting beyond theextremities of the shackle slots at oneor both ends, thus preventing the possibility of drawing the foldedtongue through the slots without unbending the folds, and in factreturning the tongue to its original condition.

bending lines. But if the. evilly. disposed person should succeed instraightening out the ton ue, and opening the article to which the seais applied, it would be absolutely impossible, for him to conceal hiswork by rebending the tongueon the folding lines to its originalposition, without completely rupturing the tongue alon the said linesand thus leaving evidence t at the seal had been tampered with;

Let 7 designate theform of seal shown in Fi s. 4 and 5 considered in itsentirety. In th1s seal let B designate. the enlarged or body part; B thesealing tongue and B and B the folding lines of the tongue. The

tongue isalso provided with an opening B formed in its 'baseor unbentpart. Fig. 6 shows a tag 8 provided with gummed parts 9 and 10 and aslot 12 between the gummed parts. This slot is of sufficient'length toreceive the enlarged part B of the seal 7 as far as the shoul ers B".-After the sealhas been so inserted in-the slot 12, the gummed parts 9and 10 arefolded against and below the base of the seal and. securedtogether, whereby the tag is held in place with reasonable security.This arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 4 in which the manner of closingand sealing a coin sack 13 is illustrated.

The form of shackle which I will designate 14, the same beingillustrated in Fig. 7,"is usedin closing t e mouth of the sack as shownin Fig. 4. This shackle orsecuring device is provided with slotsl5 and16 thelatter being a transverse slot'formed at one extremity thereof,while the slot 15 is longitudinaly disposed and located near the pointedextremity 16 of the device. This extremity is pointed to allow it tobepassed through the material of me sack one or more times, in order tosecurely fasten the same. The manner'of applying the securing device 14to the sack will be readily understood from the illustration The mouthof the sack is first closed, after which the securing device 14 iswrapped .aroundthe closed end its pointed extremity. being passedthrough the This can scarcely be done without completely rupturing thetongue along the folds thereof one or more times, after which thepointed end is passed through the slot 16 of the opposite end, farenough to disclose the slot 15. The sealing tongue B is then passedthrough the slot 15, after which the tongue is folded on .the lines Band B successively, thus forming the seal shown in Fig. 4. The seal andtag are numbered to corres ond so that it is useless to change the tagwithout also changing the seal. The designation upon the seal 1ssupposed to be' indelible, refera-bly by cutting or stamping the sameinto and upon the enlarged part of the .seal which it is assumed iscomposed of some metal suitable for the purpose. In' bending the tongueB upon the lines B and ,B the movement of the bentpart is supposed to berearwardly in both instances, in order to harmonize with Fig. 4 in whichthe orifice B is disclosed after-the sealing act is complete. This isalso desirable in closing a package of the character shown in Fig. 4,-in order that the opening B may be readily observed, as it could not beif the bends were made in such a manner as to conceal the said openingin front. Let the numera 17 designate the form of seal shown in Fig. 10,the same being composed of anenlarged orbody part G, and a tonguecomposed of two members C and 0 each provi ed with folding lines 1, 2and 3 extending-transversely of the tongue members. In applying thisseal to a shackle 18, the latter is provided with slots in bothextremities which are overlapped to cause the slots to register. Theseslots are of the. same .length approximately as the width of the tonguemembers C and C These tongue members are then passed through theregistering slots, after which the said members vare successively bentin opposite directions,

first on the line 1, until the part above the line is moved one hundredand eighty degrees or until it. is parallel and in contact with thetongue part below. The doubled tongue members are then bent in op ositedirections on the line 2, the bent part eing moved ninety degrees or atright angles tothe body of the tongue.- These members are then each bentdownwardly over the edge of the, shackle ninety degrees on the line 3,

whereby the extremities of the shackle or securing device are locked inplace with sufficient security for all practical purposes, while at thesame time the sealing tongue cannot be straightened out and rebent toits original position without completely rupturing the tongue members onthe folding lines and leaving unmistakable evidence that the seal hasbeen tampered with.

' In the form of construction shown in Figs. 12 and 13, let 19 designatethe seal in its entirety, the same being provided with an enlarged partD, and a sealing tongue D having a bending line D extending diagonallythereof and perforated in order to weaken the bending line for thepurposes heretofore stated. In Fig. 12 the numeral 20 designates a haspwhich it may be assumed is connected with a car door 21 or other movabledevice which it is desired to secure 'in' lace, the hasp being connectedwith a stap e 22. The opposite extremity of the hasp is provided with aslot 23 which is passed over a staple 24 made fast to a stationary partto which it is desired to secure the movable door. A pin 25 having aslot 26, is then passed through the staple in front of the hasp, afterwhich the tongue D of the seal 19 is passed through the slot of the pinbelow the hasp. The tongue is then bent on the folding line D to theposition shownin Fig. 12, the bent part of the sealing tongue being ofsufiicient length to prevent the removal of the tongue through the slotof the pin since this slot is made only of sufficient length approximately to receive the tongue when in. the

condition shown in Fig. 13. Now it will be understood from what hasheretofore been stated that it will be impossible to restore the tongueto its original position shown in Fig. 13, and then rebend it to theposition shown in Fig. 12, without completely rupturing the tongue onthe folding line D In the construction shown in Figs. 12 and 14, theslot 26 formed in the pin is provided with rounded orpbeveled corners,whereby the tongue where it passes through the slot is made visible. Inorder to facilitate this the pin is shouldered as shown at 27 andslotted as shown at 28. i

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 15, 16 and 17 let the numeral29 designate the seal before use,the same consisting of an elongatedpiece of metal provided with perforated lines 30 and 31 formeddiagonally across the seal; and perforated lines 32 and 33 extendingacross'the seal at right angles to its length. In using this seal it ispassed through registering slots formed in the overlapping extremitiesof a shackle or securing device 34 until the lines 31 and 33 are on oneside of the shackle and the lines 30 and 32 on the other side. The sealis then bent first on the diagonal lines 30 and 31 on opposite sides ofthe shackle, the bent part being moved one hundred eighty degrees inboth instances, or until the bent part occupies a position flat againstthe unbent part. again on the lines 32 and 33, when the protective sealis completed as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. It will be observed that inthis case the bending of the seal forms stops on both sides of theshackle to prevent the removal of the seal b passing it through theslots of the shack e, the said slots being made of the same lengthapproximately as the width at the seal 29.

The seal is then bent In the form of construction shown in Figs. 18, 19and 20, the numeral 35 designates the seal'in its entirety the samehaving an enlarged body part E, and a tongue E passed through the slotsof the overlapping ends of a shackle 36. This tongue normallyextremities of the slot may be visible when the seal is inspected. Afterthetongue is passed through the overlapping extremities of the shackle,it is first bent on the line E forming the construction shown in fulllines in Fig. 19, after which it is bent on the line E to form theconstruction partly shown by dotted lines in Fig; 19. The entire tongueis then bent on the short lineE, to occupy a position at ri ht angles toits normal position or that s own in Fig. 20.

In the form of construction shown in' "Figs. 21 and 22, let the numeral37 designate the seal in its entirety. The body or enlarged part F ofthis seal is provided with .a tongue F composed of two members eachhaving perforated diagonal lines F located on the side of the shackle 38opposite from the? enlarged part F, after the tongue is passed throughthe slots in the overlapping ends of the shackle. The tongue membersare'then bent in opposite directions on the perforated lines F to theposition shown in Fig. 22, wherebythe bent members form shoulders toprevent the removal of the tongue from the shackle or securing device.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 23, 24 and 25, the shackle orsecuring device 39 is provided at one extremity with a head 40' havingslots 41 and 42 extending transversely of the length of the device. The

opposite extremity of the device is provided with an integral sealingtongue 43 consisting of an enlar ed part 44 forming shoulders 45 onopposite sides; and two tongue members 46 and 47 which after they arepassed through the slots 41 and 42, are bent-toward the left referringto Fig. 23 on the dotted lines 50 and 51, until they lie flat upon theshackle. 'They are thenbentin the opposite direction on the diagonallines 48 and 49 until they occupy the position shown in Figs. 24 and 25,these views being opposite views of the shackle with the seal closed.

In Figs. 26 and 27, another form of again ninety degrees on'the dottedline 55, after which it is bent successively on the lines 56 and 57, andfinally the. lip 58 is bent down on the folded tongue producing theresult indicatedin Fig. 27. In Fig. 28, another form of shackledesignated 60 is illustrated. In this case the shackle extremities areprovided with reduced parts 61 and. 62, which when properly bent, hookinto openings 63 and 64 after which they arebent to the position shownin Fig. 29. The shackle slots 65 and 66 will then register with eachother, after which a .seal 67 is applied to theshackle as illustrated inFig. 29. The body part of -this seal may be designated G, and the foldedtongue part G. This is-substantially the form of sealing tongue shown inFigs. 1, 2

and 3, except that the tongue after being folded is corrugated wherebyadditional security is gaine From the foregoing description the use andoperation of my improved protective seal will be readily understood.While I have shown a considerable number of forms weakened lines uponwhich it may be folde upon itself'through an arc of 180 after beingpassed throu h the openingof the securing device toform a stop toprevent reverse movement, the seal being made of such material as toprevent repeated bending on the same line without rupturing the materialon the line of the bend.

2. The combination with a slotted shackle or other securing device, of aseal of the class described provided with a tongue at one end and anenlarged part at the other end to limit the movement of the tongue inthe direction of its insertion through the slot of the shackle or othersecuring device,

the seal being provided with recesses at the base of the tongue wherebythe extremities of the slot through which it is passed may be disclosed.V

3. The combination with a securing device rovided with a slot, of asealing device having a tongueat one extremity and an en- .larged partat the other extremity, the

tongue having a width equal or approximately equal to the slot of thesecuring device, the tongue being cut away on one side andcorrespondinglyreinforced on the opposite side of its base, thereinforced part be ing provided with a lip adapted to be bent down overthe slot of the securing device after the tongue is inserted to itslimit of movement, the tongue being adapted to be folded to preventreverse movement after insertion. I

In testiinon whereof I afiix my'signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

'TINGLEY S. WOOD.

Witnesses A. 'J. OBRIEN', DnNA NELSON.

